Cup final won by Widnes

Press, 7 May 1984, Page 35

Cup final won by Widnes

NZPA staff correspondent London

Widnes, superbly marshalled by the Kiwi prop, Kevin Tamati, proved far too efficient for a below-par Wigan side as it ran out a comprehensive 19-6 winner in the Rugby League Challenge Cup final at Wembley at the week-end.

Tamati was the key influence in the crack Widnes side, leading and inspiring the pack with his strong running and tackling. He could count himself unlucky not to have won the coveted Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match. The award went instead to Joe Lydon, aged 20, the Widnes centre, who is tipped to be a major star on Great Britain’s tour of Australia and New Zealand this (southern) winter. Lydon showed searing pace in running all of 75 metres for each of two tries. Tamati was a close runner-up for the trophy which commemorates Todd, a member of the New Zealand touring side of 1907 who later played for Wigan.

“I knew I was in a close race with Joe for the trophy,” said the Wellingtonian, who had been intent on taking the award ahead of his cousin, Howie Tamati, the hooker for Wigan.

“Howie has lived in the house Lance Todd had in Wigan and he reckoned he had the spirits going for him,” he said. In spite of missing out for the trophy, Tamati said he was especially thrilled because it had been a long time since a New Zealander had mounted Wembley’s famous steps to collect a winner’s medal. “I’ve checked the record books and I think I’m the first New Zealander since 1953 (when Peter Henderson appeared for Huddersfield) to win at Wembley. “The Hull boys (Aucklanders Dane O’Hara, James Leuluai, and Gary Kemble) were here last year and the year before and didn’t manage it,” he said. “However, while the final was a triumph for Tamati and Widnes, it was a bitter disappointment for Wigan and its New Zealand captain, Graeme West.

The Taranaki secondrower had hoped to add a Wembley triumph to his feat of captaining the Kiwis to victory over Australia in Brisbane last July. However, there had always been the possibility that Wigan, which had not appeared at Wembley for 14 years, would be overawed by the occasion and the 80,000 crowd. This happened but in a surprising manner.

“We worried about some of our youngsters but it was some of our stars who froze. Howie Tamati and Mark Cannon (a stand-off from the Sydney club, St George) were two who had very ordinary games by their standards,” said Alex Murphy, the Wigan coach. “We made too many basic errors and were made to pay.” The scorers were:

Widnes: tries by Joe Lydon (2) and Keiron O’Loughlin; Mick Burke two conversions and a penalty goal; Mike O'Neill a dropped goal. Wigan: Kerry Hemsley, a try, Colin Whitfield, a penalty fioal.